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Frietkot - Fritkot

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In Belgium, Frietkot/Fritkot are quite common. They're small snack stands which sell french fries1. The best place to look for these little gems is usually inside or around a train station.

Construction

Most Frietkot/Fritkot are mounted on wheels and look like a converted caravan. One of the longer sides is an open counter top - the food is served through this opening. Occasionally, some benches and tables can be found next to Frietkots, but traditionally, the fries should be eaten standing or even while walking.

When Real Fries were Still Real Fries

A long time ago, back through the mists of time, the only thing you could buy at a frietkot were fries, in a cornet2, with or without salt and with or without mayonnaise.

Nowadays...

... you are faced with a multitude of other possibilities: most Frietkots offer soft drinks or regular beer in cans and all kinds of meat products that can be eaten hot or cold. These are served with a wide variety of sauces.

Meat choice
 DutchFrenchComments
Meat ballBalBouletteServed cold or warmed in the oil
Meat stickFrikandelFricadelleTastes similar to Wienerschnitzel
Hamburger  Just the meat, not the bread bun
Brochette  Meat cubes and vegetables on a wooden stick
What you can dip your fries in
MayonnaiseThe classic (in Belgium, anyway)
KetchupThe classic (everywhere else)
AndalouseA rather spicy sauce
BanzaïAn even spicier sauce, guaranteed to burn your mouth off
Mustard 
BéarnaiseHot-ish, and is more flavoursome than mayonnaise
TartareCreamy mayonnaise-like sauce, but more interesting

The servers will either ask you in Flemish Om mee te nemen? or in French C'est pour emporter, which means 'Do you want to take away?'. If you agree, your food will be wrapped in cheap grey paper that will absorb all the sauce you've chosen to go on your chips.

Containers used for the fries
 DutchFrench
Cardboard cone wrapped in paper to increase volume Cornet
Rectangular plastic containerBak or BakskeBarquette
Half a baguette3Mitraillette

What About all those Calories?

Let's face it, when you go for a snack, you want to enjoy your food. Fries from a Frietkot are real food. Low-calorie food is not as satisfying as high calorie food, so you might as well enjoy them while you can.

1Otherwise known, in the UK anyway, as chips.2A cone of rolled paper around a smaller cardboard pyramid with a sharp point3This either comes with or without meat. This is really filling food: the bread and mayonnaise combined with the fries will fill you you up for a long time.

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